There was a time when island parliaments were imagined as distant institutions shaped primarily by geography — legislative chambers suspended at the edge of oceans, far from the technological and political centers that traditionally dictated the pace of modernity. Increasingly, however, the Azores are seeking to redefine that perception, presenting themselves not as peripheral observers of digital transformation, but as active participants in the construction of new institutional models for the twenty-first century.

That ambition was visible this week in Vitória, in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo, where the Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma dos Açores (ALRAA), represented by Secretary-General Sandra Costa, presented the Azorean Parliament’s digital transition strategy during the second edition of the international conference LegisTech: Modernisation of Devolved and Subnational Parliaments.

Held on May 14 and 15, the conference brought together parliamentary representatives, technology specialists, and institutional leaders from ten countries, while also reaching an online audience of approximately 40,000 subscribers. The event focused on the modernization of regional and subnational parliaments, exploring themes such as digital transformation, artificial intelligence, legislative innovation, institutional transparency, and administrative efficiency.

During her presentation, Sandra Costa outlined the ongoing digital transformation process within the Azorean Parliament, highlighting technological projects and digital solutions designed to strengthen both institutional efficiency and public accessibility.

Particular attention was given to a project currently being developed by the ALRAA in partnership with KBAI, centered on the concept of “organized knowledge” as the foundation for reliable Artificial Intelligence systems.

The underlying philosophy of the initiative reflects a growing concern among democratic institutions worldwide: that Artificial Intelligence cannot be considered trustworthy without structured, traceable, and properly organized knowledge systems underpinning its outputs.

According to the proposal presented, the objective is not merely technological modernization for its own sake, but the creation of systems capable of reinforcing institutional trust, ensuring decision traceability, and preserving parliamentary memory — particularly crucial concerns for legislative bodies operating within democratic frameworks.

In many ways, the project situates the Azorean Parliament within one of the central debates now emerging globally around AI governance: whether institutions can adopt increasingly powerful digital tools without sacrificing transparency, accountability, and historical continuity.

Sandra Costa also participated in the panel “Long-Term Planning for the Implementation of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Subnational Parliaments,” which explored the strategic challenges surrounding AI adoption within legislative assemblies.

The discussion included representatives and specialists from countries such as Canada, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, and the United States, focusing on issues ranging from legislative process digitalization and parliamentary automation to ethical uses of Artificial Intelligence and the evolving operational models of democratic institutions in the digital age.

For the Azores, participation in such forums carries significance beyond technology itself.

Autonomy has always depended not only upon political structures, but upon institutional capacity — the ability of island institutions to govern effectively across distance, fragmentation, and limited scale. In earlier decades, that challenge involved transportation, communications, and administrative decentralization. Today, increasingly, it involves digital infrastructure, information governance, and the ability to integrate emerging technologies without losing democratic legitimacy.

The Azorean Parliament’s presence at LegisTech: Modernisation of Devolved and Subnational Parliaments therefore signals something larger than modernization rhetoric. It reflects an attempt to position the archipelago within a global conversation about how smaller democratic institutions can navigate the technological transformations reshaping governance itself.

In an era when artificial intelligence increasingly influences how societies store memory, process information, and make decisions, the challenge facing parliaments may no longer be merely legislative. It may also become philosophical: how to preserve human accountability, institutional dignity, and democratic trust inside systems increasingly mediated by algorithms and automation.

For an archipelago long accustomed to balancing modernity with identity, that conversation may prove especially relevant.

Translated and adapted from a Press Release.